King's Gambit 003

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"UHM REIJI-SENPAI, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE DINNER FIRST."

We were standing in front of a local bar a couple of stations away from the office. The bar was not even open yet when we arrived. He said he wanted to treat me as thanks for waking him up and cooking a nice breakfast, so I took him up on his offer. Even though, it was just this morning when he was whining about his hangover and now he wanted to go drinking again.

"Oh no, it's fine. Come on." He insisted while knocking on the wooden door, where a sign board saying 'CLOSE' was written.

I don't know what he's up to, yet I followed him anyways.

The door chimed open and a tall guy appeared, greeting us.

"Oh Reiji? 'Hunt' night?" He has this charismatic smirk on his face before he glanced at my way and in that instant, that smile was gone. "Ohhhh. New face…"

"Haru…" Reiji-senpai threw him a knowing look as if they were communicating telepathically.

The guy, Haru, opened the door wider letting us inside the bar. As I walked pass by him, he gave me a quick, but not really discreet, run down look from my head to toe. When our eyes met again his mouth curved in a cunning smile.

For a second, I doubted if this guy can even be trusted.

Reiji-senpai already settled himself on the stool by the counter as if it was his personal spot. Haru followed senpai and walked to the other side of the counter while obviously shaking his head.

"I told you, you should come when it's business hours. I haven't finished preparing yet."

"Don't mind us Haru. We'll order when the bar's open." Reiji-senpai looked so bored and annoyed as he rested his chin on top of his hands.

"Yeah. Yeah." Haru disappeared into the doorway, leading probably to the kitchen or storage room, while humming.

"You're a regular?" I asked as I perch myself on the stool beside him.

"Well… this bar is my second home." He answered confidently.

"Hey, don't call my bar your home." Haru suddenly popped his head from the doorway.

Reiji-senpai chuckled. "Well, I hangout a lot in this place after work. The guy inside is Haru, the owner of this bar."

"Don't tell me, this is where you spend the whole night drinking until you pass out?"

He pondered for a moment, "Kind of…"

"Does Yuma knows about this place?"

"Hmm… maybe yes… Or maybe no?" He leaned forward towards me. The scent of flower in him was now faint but it's still there. I stopped myself inhaling his scent. "It's not like I was the only one who doesn't come back home often. Do you know where's Yuma's favorite hangout place?"

I didn't answer, I wonder what nonsense this guy's going to say.

Then he continued with a hint of spite, "His girlfriend's apartment!"

"What's wrong with that? It's only natural he wanted to be with his girlfriend." I countered in Yuma's defense.

I think that remark caught him off guard when I realized that he was looking at me in daze, and then he pulled himself back to his space, away from mine. He chuckled, more to himself. All of his reactions confused me.

"You're right. There's nothing wrong spending the night with your girlfriend."

Was Reiji-senpai not in good terms with Yuma's girlfriend? Was he sulking because his bestfriend's no longer spending that much time with him?

"Guys, I'm opening the bar now." Haru returned from the kitchen. He was on his way to the front door when he stopped beside Reiji then patted his shoulder with concern plastered on his face. "Lighten up!"

"Right! Eisuke, we can order now. What do you like to drink? Haru also have meals here. Choose whatever you like, I got you!" Reiji-senpai handed a laminated menu over to me. Just like that he was backed to his usual self.

---

AFTER STAYING IN JUST AN HOUR, I CAME TO REALIZE THAT THIS BAR IS A NICE PLACE TO HANG OUT TO. The bar gives of a cozy and homely feeling, even Haru was accommodating to his customers.

"Even though Haru looks like that, he's actually really friendly. That's why most of his customers are regulars and became his friends."

"What do you mean 'Even though Haru looks like that'?! Do you have a problem with my face, huh, Reiji?"

I think I understand what senpai meant by that. Haru gives of the intimidating aura when you first see him. When he looked you up from head to your toe, you can't help but feel like your whole being was being judged. His body built and the way he dressed doesn't help giving off that kind of misconception about his personality. A tall guy with quite a bulky body, half slanted eyes, and stubble growing all over half of his face, large tattoo of a tiger surrounded by roses that covers his whole right arm plus the faded black fitted shirt and ragged jeans for an outfit screams unscrupulous gangster instead of a pleasant bar owner, who even cooks the meals in the menu and makes some of the mixed cocktails.

He's quite a nice guy if I say so. And his customers seem to like him.

Reiji-senpai was really comfortable with his banters with Haru and that clearly shows their good relationship.

I was starting to have fun drinking and chatting with Haru and Reiji-senpai when someone interrupted us.

"Reiji!" The unknown guy desperately called out for that name.

While the owner of that name, doesn't seem surprised at all. Instead, one corner of his lips slightly turned up as if he was actually waiting for this guy.

"Oh Kenji…"

I was perplexed when that Kenji guy suddenly threw himself to Reiji-senpai, holding him for dear life, causing a scene here in the bar. I glanced at Haru to tell him to stop this commotion but he just stood across the counter mixing a drink. Unbothered.

"Reiji, I'm so sorry. I accept that we're really just sex partners, that our relationship's purely for sex. J-Just don't cast me away like this…" The guy, Kenji, burst out still clinging to Reiji-senpai and pleading to him without a care in the world, embarrassing himself, and even senpai, in the process.

'What did he say? Sex partners?' He and Reiji-senpai?'

My eyes were fixed to Reiji-senpai's face but I can't see a single care about this guy. Meeting his gaze with his unsympathetic expression sent shivers down my spine. But, oddly enough, I can't turn my gaze away from him. My heart skipped a beat, again, when he suddenly winked at me.

"Too bad, Kenji. I already found someone new to play with. So, can you let me go? I don't want to give him a bad idea about us when we're already done."

"Huh?" Kenji released Reiji-senpai from the hug. "Who are you talking about?"

Our eyes met once again. "He's right behind you."

Kenji immediately glanced at me with his clenched jaw and bloodshot eyes that was full of resentment. He gave me that familiar look. This is the second time today someone I don't even know tried to judge me.

"I never saw your face here before." He said before turning back to look at Reiji-senpai again. "Where did you picked up that guy, Reiji?"

Blood rushed to my ears in sudden anger, 'Picked up?'

"You don't have to know, Kenji. So please, just leave us alone."

"Have you guys had sex? Are you sure this boy can satisfy you? I know all your sweet spots. I can satisfy you better than this guy, Reiji."

I can't believe I'm hearing all this things. And I don't understand why I felt offended.

Reiji-senpai swallowed a lump on his throat before answering that bastard's crazy talk. "H-He's really good in bed. I was very satisfied."

'Ahhh… Now I get it.'

Those annoying phone calls from earlier, his sudden invitation of treating me, and bringing me into this bar… He wanted to use me to get away from that guy.

I rose from my seat and walked over to Reiji-senpai. I caught that Kenji guy about to grab him so I slapped his hand before his fingertips could even touch him again. Then I wrapped my arms around senpai's body resting my chin over his right shoulder. And there it was again, the smell of flowers, but this time I didn't bother stopping myself from breathing him in. I felt Reiji-senpai stiffen from his seat.

After I filled my lungs with Reiji-senpai's scent, I glared at the person causing this shameful situation. "You heard him. He said, he was 'very satisfied'. It's true that I don't know all of Reiji's good spots 'yet' but I'm actually taking my time knowing every nook and curve of his body. I'm patiently erasing all the other bastards' touches from his memory and replacing them with nothing but mine. I will make sure he'll only be satisfied with me and won't throw me away like he did to someone stupid like you."

His jaw dropped and I could see his hands trembling from disbelief. I intentionally threw in a smug smile as I realized that finally he's going to stop and admit defeat.

"Y-You… B-Bastard!" He stuttered as he pointed his shaking finger at me. "I am telling you! Reiji will also throw you away once you fell in love with him! You'll regret conforming to that bitch's rules! Motherfucker!!"

And just like the asshole that he is, he ran his way out the bar. I looked around and found the other customers watching us intently. We already caused a scene, I don't care anymore. I might not come to this bar again.

He even called him a bitch after he literally begged for him to take him back.

'What a trash.'

Reiji-senpai had been quiet for a while now then I realized that I was still hugging him when I felt a loud beating coming from his chest. I immediately took my arms off him, releasing him from the hug, then I stepped back to gain a distance, consciously returning to my seat.

"Wow. What a nice scene!" Another guy approached us. But this guy's nice face looked familiar to me. He sat on the stool beside Reiji-senpai. "Haru, whiskey please."

"Me too, Haru! Another bucket of beer for me!" Reiji-senpai yelled desperately.

Haru shook his head but he still went inside the kitchen to grab their orders. When he returned, he placed the beers on the counter and Reiji-senpai immediately chugged down his drink.

I felt as if someone's watching me and when I glanced at Haru's direction, I found him staring at me. He smiled at me before lifting his hand for a thumbs up.

The new guy clicked his tongue twice. "You didn't orient Kenji-san?"

Reiji-senpai was gulping down the bottle of beer until it was empty. "Huh?! Of course I told him from the start. He agreed to my condition like a loyal dog before and now he's causing so much trouble. What a douche…"

'I wonder who the real douchebag is?'

"Don't forget, Reiji, who is the most despicable one here…" Haru chimed in when he came back after giving another customer their order.

"Yeah! Yeah! I'm the douchiest of the douchebags!"

I don't know if I should be listening to their conversations but he dragged me into this and I have no choice. I just pretended that I was not listening and gulped down my own drink.

Then I suddenly remember where I saw this guy, who's talking with senpai right now. He was the good-looking client, who visited the office earlier this morning.

That guy started laughing on his own. "Never mind, that's the cue that it's time to stop and hunt for another."

That word again, 'hunt'. Haru said that earlier too.

"Yeah. Annoying…" Senpai was now gulping down his 2nd bottle. Now I could see why he had that bad hangover.

"Psst new guy!" I turned to look at the guy and found him already looking at me over Reiji-senpai's shoulder. "I'm telling you, if you want your relationship with Reiji to last long, you should never fall in love with him. If not, you'll be just like that guy from earlier. This guy is pretty heartless in tossing out his fuck buddies."

"Y-Yeah, I can already see that…"

"Tsss, Natsuki, don'cha compare Eishuke to that fucker. It's imposhible he'll fall in love with someone like me."

"Ohh, so you're called Eisuke? I'm Natsuki."

"Are you friends with Reiji-senpai?"

Natsuki-san's eyes widen. "Senpai?! Since when have you been interested to someone younger than you? I mean, he seems to be everything you actually like in a guy but… someone younger?"

'Huh? So, I am senpai's type? I mean, he likes guys like me?'

"So what? Ish (It's) good to try sham-thing (something) new every onesh (once) in a while." He's already slurring his words but he kept gulping down beer one after another. He's a beer monster.

"Yeah yeah. My bad." Natsuki-san rubbed Reiji-senpai's back as he apologized with a big smile on his face, obviously entertained by this drunkard. He looked my way again, "To answer your question earlier, Eisuke… Well, you can say Reiji and I are friends?"

This time, he wrapped his arm over Reiji-senpai's shoulders bringing him closer to him. His suggestive eyes roamed around senpai's face.

"We're not friends." Senpai took Natsuki-san's arms off him, "Don't disturb us."

He chortled at his friend's snappiness and I can't blame him, I admit senpai is quite entertaining when he's drunk. Somehow, Natsuki-san is giving off an easy-going type of guy but someone who seems to have inner motives. He seems easy to be with on the surface but actually a dangerous guy.

"You heard him. Reiji and I used to be friends… in bed."

"You mean, you two have that kind of relationship too?" Fuck buddies. Sex friends.

"Yeah we were fuck buddies for a few months, but I'm not like that guy from earlier. I know well enough the limits of that kind of relationship."

"Reiji is very strict to maintain that 'casual sexual partner' set up with other guys, always maintaining that certain distance." Haru chimed in again. This time he stayed across from me behind the counter. "Whoever attempts to step pass that boundary he clearly set…" He made a 'shooo' gesture with his right hand.

"Don't tell me, even Haru became senpai's partner?

"No." Haru shook his head ever so slightly, a lopsided smile plastered on his manly face. "Well, he offered but I know myself, I'm the type of person who falls in love easily, besides I'm satisfied being friends with Reiji even without 'that' benefit."

I already heaved a sigh of relief before I could even realize it.

"Are you and senpai still doing 'that'?" I figured I have to confirm it with Natsuki-san.

"Nah. We decided to end that relationship a long time ago."

Reiji suddenly put down another empty beer bottle over the counter with a terrific thud, "Yeah. Just 'cause that bastard fell in love with someone."

Natsuki-san chuckled on Reiji-senpai's annoyed remark. "What should I do, Reiji? I can't be in love with you."

The gentleness in Natsuki-san's voice and expression towards Reiji-senpai stirred up some unpleasant feelings in the pit of my stomach. I used to really hate Reiji-senpai during highschool because of his annoying fictitious personality but I'm starting to think that, maybe, Yuma was right.

Reiji-senpai was actually a lonely person on the inside.

Although, I still don't know and understand what kind of person the real Reiji is, at the very least, I'm starting to see, bit by bit, the vulnerable and weak sides of him.

"Senpai's drunk already. We have to go home now." I reached and grabbed senpai's arms helping him stand up.

"We're going home already? B-But… it's still too early…" He looked up at me with his beady eyes and flustered cheeks. I'm getting the faint idea why that guy fell for him.

"Yes, senpai. Look, you can't even stand on your own." I let go of him for a second and he swayed on his feet, instantly grabbing my arms for support. "Wait, we have to pay our bill, senpai…"

"Don't worry about that." It was Natsuki-san. "Haru, put their bill on my tab. It's my treat for giving me that very entertaining show earlier."

"If you don't mind, thanks. But I will tell senpai about it tomorrow, then it's up to him to decide if he'll accept your offer, Natsuki-san."

We were on our way out when Natsuki-san called my name. I glanced back to his direction.

"Rest assured, while he's with you, he won't do it with another guy."

***

"OH? YOU GUYS HAD DRINKS WITHOUT ME?"

Yuma was sitting on the living room, playing on his phone, when we arrived home. He looked at Reiji-senpai and me as if we betrayed him.

"Yuma!" Reiji-senpai hurriedly ran towards Yuma while calling out his name; Even the cold breeze outside didn't helped sobering him up. "Yuma!"

Accompanying a wasted guy back home was extremely tiring; I had to stop a few times to contemplate leaving that guy on the roadside.

I took off my shoes then went directly to the kitchen to drink a glass of cold water. I could hear Reiji-senpai whining to Yuma like a spoiled child.

"Reiji, you just drink yesterday…" Yuma's voice was a mixed of concern and dejection.

"Yuma! Listen! You know your cousin—"

"What did Eisuke do?"

I stepped out from the kitchen when I heard my name. Somehow, I was curious to what that drunkard's going to say. As far as I know, I didn't do anything wrong or something that might have offended him. In fact, I was the one taken-advantage of. But Reiji-senpai hasn't met my eyes even once since we left the bar. I wonder what's wrong with him.

"Your cousin is dangerous, Yuma! He said something that's... really...bad…" He traced down his words. We waited for him to continue but he just kept looking down on Yuma's chest.

Yuma turned to me confused, "What on earth is this guy's talking about?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. We talked about lot of stuffs, I wonder which one he's talking about. I even helped him earlier but I haven't even heard single thanks from him."

"Oh. You heard that, Reiji?"

He pouted. "I treated him food and drinks, that's more than enough as a thanks."

I snorted. Treated? When he finds out that Natsuki-san paid for our bill earlier, he'll be really shock. Well, I think that's fine too. I can ask for a payment again.

"Oh… You bought Eisuke a drink and yet you didn't even invite me? You even had a long nice conversation with him…" Yuma raised a brow.

Reiji-senpai stood up and walked towards his room, before he went inside he glanced back at Yuma, "For sure, you'll choose to be with your girlfriend instead of us." Then he went inside and closed the door with a loud thud.

Yuma looked dumbfounded as he stared at the bedroom door.

"Well… looks like your best friend's sulking…" I said with a hint of a mocking tone.

I'm surprised when he just sighed as he ran his hand over his nape. "He's always with his partners anyway, so you could say we're in the same boat. I don't want to cause a misunderstanding even though he changes partners quite often."

He got up from his seat then walked to me. He patted my right shoulder, "Just be careful, Eisuke."

Then he ambled his way to the kitchen and prepared a coffee for Reiji-senpai.

king's gambit chapter 3//end